Global Compact International Yearbook Ausgabe 2010

Agenda
10 th Anniversary
Georg Kell addresses the United Nations Private Sector
Forum in September 2008 as Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon, and Kermal Dervis, Administrator of the
UNDP, listen.
to bring about more inclusive markets and advance sustainable
development.
As an initiative engaging some of the world’s largest corporations,
the Global Compact naturally has had to face some
opposition and criticism. And admittedly, it took some time
to find a proper modus operandi that would safeguard the
initiative’s integrity, while ensuring accountability and transparency
of the corporate commitment. It also required frequent
clarification of what the Global Compact is and what it is not.
Nevertheless, we have remained true to our original mandate
and mission: The Global Compact is, first and foremost, a platform
for dialogue, learning, and partnership. Participation does
not imply perfection. It simply means that an organization is
willing to align with UN values and engage in activities that
advance UN goals. As such, the Global Compact does not pass
judgment or regulate corporate behavior. Of course, this has
at times caused misunderstandings or even frustration, but it
has always been an intentional policy to keep the entry barrier
low, so that those that face serious challenges can join the
conversation, learn from others, and improve. And we stand by
this approach, as long as a sincere commitment to constructive
dialogue and disclosure can be ascertained. It is for this purpose
that the Global Compact introduced a mandatory reporting
policy in 2005, requiring all participating businesses to issue
an annual public Communication on Progress. The fact that
nearly 1,800 companies have been publicly expelled from the
initiative for repeated failure to disclose their practices has
not been a detriment to the Global Compact’s mission, but
rather strengthened its credibility.
As the Global Compact enters into its second decade, the big
question is what lies ahead. Today, the world economy is still
reeling from a financial and economic crisis of momentous
proportions. Global challenges, from climate change to natural
resource constraints and widespread, abject poverty, are not
likely to be resolved in the near future. Consequently, there
is much uncertainty over the fate of the global market and
the prospect for sustainable growth and prosperity. Are we
entering a new era of protectionism and narrow-minded national
policies that threaten to roll back the advances in global
integration made in the past two decades? Or will we be able
to chart a course to sustainability where responsible business
is a critical catalyst? What does it take and how can we best
support efforts to make this happen? Where will leadership
come from and what pathways should we follow?
While much of the answer depends on political will and capacity,
the Global Compact is committed to doing its part. If its
first 10 years were about raising awareness and stimulating
positive organizational change, the next decade will be about
turning principles into practice; mobilizing tangible – individual
and collective – action; cultivating issue leadership and
local networks to bring good efforts to true scale; and further
intensifying public-private collaboration, so that effective
business solutions can stimulate positive policy responses,
which, in turn, will help improve the enabling environment
for responsible practices to grow. As business leaders meet in
New York this June for the Global Compact Leaders Summit
2010, the Summit’s motto becomes our shared mission: The
time is now to build a new era of sustainability.
Georg Kell is Executive Director of the
United Nations Global Compact.
Global Compact International Yearbook 2010 9